Sheet-feeding apparatus.



A DISK SHEET 1-" 1331319 APPARATUS. APPLIOATIOII FILED 531;, 10, 1906.

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2 iSHEETS SHEET 2L i F I: m M mw AUG o N (1 H w 9% UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

ALBERT B. DICK, OF LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO A. B. DICKCOMPANY, OECHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, A CORPQRATION OFILLINOIS SHEET-FEEDING APPARATUS.

Application filed m 10, 1906. Serial n 295,425

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT B. DIcK, a

- citizen ofthe United States, residing at Lake ratus, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple yet effectivemechanism for successively feeding sheets of paper or other material toan desired apparatus, such asprinting or fol ing machines etc.

The invention is adapted particularly, although it is not intended tolimit the same thereto herein, to mechanism for producing multiplecopies by the use of a type-form suitably oscillated, and, operating inconjunction therewith, and underlying pressure roller, between which andsaid type-form the sheets are fed. The present invention does notconcern particularly mechanism for separating the sheets from a sheetpile in ad- Vance of feeding the same, but this may be employed in anfsuitable form, as, for instance, that ilustrated in Patent No. 749,984heretofore granted to me.

In carrying out the invention in an approved form and in conjunction,for example, with a type-du licatin machine of the general character aove in icated, I employ a frame having a feed-board over which thesheets are successively passed, a pressureroller mounted in such frameand vertically movable to operative and inoperative positions, anoverlying oscillating carriage operated either by hand or electricmotor. and supporting a type-form, and an ink-ribbon passing under saidtype-form and therefore in proximity to the printing faces ofthe type.In apparatus so constructed, the sheets are successively fed betweensuch a pressureroller and the type-form, and when gripped by thecoaction of these are simultaneously printed u on and fed through themachine to a suitaiile deliveryetray. The sheet-feedin apparatus of thisinvention is arranged be ow the t pe-form and between the feed-' boardand't e pressure-roller, and comprises suitable rollswhieh depend fortheir operation upon the movement of the carriage and which after theyhave grippeda sheet feed the same forward over'the pressure-roller apredetermined distance,=after which they are thrown out of operation asfeeders, although I Specification of Letters Patent -vention as ap liedto such a Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

one or both ma be rotated by the pull of the sheet due to t e coactionof the pressureroller and the type-form, the continued traverse, aftersaid feed-rolls have been thrown out of operation, being due to theeoaction of the pressure-roller and the type-form as above stated.

In the drawings, I have illustrated the inchine, and fort 1e purpose ofdis describe such parts of said machine as may be necessary in order toconvey a clear understanding of this approved form in which theinvention may be embodied.

In said drawings, Figure 1 isa central lon-' gitudinal section of asheet-feeding and printing machine employing my invention andillustrating the movable carriage in one position and a sheet fed by thefeeding apparatus to a certain point; Fig. 2 is a simllar view (certainparts being omitted), illustrating the carriage in the position which itoccupies after a sheet has been not only fed but also imprinted upon anddischarged; Fig. 3 is a partial plan View, and Fig. 4 a partialcrosssection, hereinafter to be referred to.

'vided upon their internal faces and near their upper edges with rabbetsor grooves b with which coact ribs 0 carried by the side members '0, C,of the oscillating carriage, in which is detachably mounted thetype-formcarrier D supporting the type-form E, in which the type are somounted as that their printing faces are at their lower ends. Under saidprinting faces operates an ink-ribbon e, the ends whereof are carried byspools 'e', in order that said ribbon may, by suitable mechanism, becaused to travel and thereby present fresh surfaces for coaction withthe type faces. Over the upper ends of said type extend a pad 6 ofrubber or other compressible material, a block e of sheets of paper orother material, and a plate a, which may be conveniently secured inposition by means of printing ma-' 0 osure I shall.

upon theimpression-sheets in the manner hereinafter stated. I I I I Fdesignates a plate, here shown as secured by means of screws to one ofthe side members of the carriage D and extending downwardly therefromparallel with a corresponding side member of the main frame. Said plateisprbvided with an elongated slot f,

and the edge of said 'plate, f forming the lower boundary ofv said slot,is preferably milled or knurled, to adapt the same for reliable coactionwith the sheave f", the function whereof will presently be explained.

G designates a cam, adj ustably secured to the plate F below the slot f.I have here shown, for the purpose of adj ustment, a secondary slot 9formed in said plate F, and with this co act set-screws g, whereby saidcam is adjustably secured to said late. The rear. ward end ofsaid cam isbeve ed at g, to adapt the cam for easy coaction with a polygonal wheelg also as hereinafter-explained.

H designates the lower feed-roll, the shaft h whereof carries the clutchh, the polygonal wheel ,g and the sheave-f (the periphery whereof'ispreferablyof rubber or other elastic material), and passes through abracket 7& and through a suitable journal-bearing h, which has verticalmovement in -a slot h in the side member B of the frame. The extreme endof said shaft 7 projects beyond said journal-bearing and coacts with atoe i formed upon an arm I hinged at i? to the exterior of one of theside members B of the frame. The opposite side of the machine isprovided with a similar hinged arm I, and.

such hinged arm also has a toe i, similar to the toe t and coacting withtheend of the lower feed-roll shaft h in the same manner. The bracket his normally drawn down by means of coil-spring hybut is-elevated (ashereinafter explained) by the movement of the hinged arm I. The sheave fdirectly overlies and coacts with the milled surface f .of the plate F,while the polygonal wheel 9 directly overlies and coacts with the cam G.That end of thelower feed-roll shaft h opposite the end just describedis mounted in a. bracket J having journal-bearing '7' which, like thejournal-bearing h, has vertical movement in a slot formed in the side.

member B. Said shaft is also provided with a pinion j. meshing with acorresponding pinion j carried by the shaft lcof the upper feedroll K,which may be-sectional (as shown) or continuous, as desired. Said upperfeedroll shaft is is journaled at one end in the bracket J and at theother end in the bracket h I prefer that the lower feed-roll H shall beof metal and the upper feed-roll K of rubber or provided 'with a rubberperiphery. Extendin between and connecting the brackets and h is across-bark, which .serves to stiffen the parts described and to givethem desired rigidity.

L designates the pressure-roller, mounted upon the shaft Z, whose endspass throu h vertical slots in the side members B, B,f:oft e .o era'tiveframe and are journaled in suitable hearings in the hinged arms I, 1.Obviously as said hinged arms are rocked upon their hinges, the pressureroller will be moved in. a vertical, plane to a lower (inoperative)position or to a higher (operative) position. This is effected by meansof cams M mounted upon the ends of a rock-shaft m and which earns coactwith'said hinged arms I, i. Secured to one of said cams an operating armP, which may extend in the path of movement of stops (not shown) on thecarriage D, in order that as said carriage is oscillated the coaction ofone of said stops with said cam-arm will, through the cams M, throw thepress r0 the coaction between the toes i, i, of the hinged arms I, I,and the ends of the lower feed-roll shaft 7b, the vertical movement ofsaid feed-roll H and its coacting feed roll. K will be thesame as thatof said pressureroller L. t

The starting position is illustrated in 2., in which the carriage isshown as having been-moved to its extreme forward position. On reachingthis position, the cams'M have been operated to depress the free ends ofthe hinged arms 1,1, thereby depressing alsothe ressure-roller L andthrowing the same to inoperative position, and in addition d5, pressingthe feed-rolls H, K, the ends of the shaft of the former having [beencarried down by the stress of the coil-springs 7f. The'rearward movementof the carriage, to the left from the osition shown in Fig. 2, operatesto. feed tfie sheet into position for printing with its forward endoverlying the ressure-roller, as indicated at N Fig. 1, and at the endof this rearward movement the pressure-roller 1s restored to operativeposition. During the succeeding forward movement, the printing iseffected, the sheet being moved along by the coaction of the type andthe pressure-roller, and at the end of this movement the roller is againdepressed to inositionf- In this position, as s own in Fig. 2, theperiphery of the sheave f is in engagement with the milled surfaeef If,now, the carriage be moved rearwardly, this engagement transmits motionto the shaft of the lower foedroll 11, and through'the 'pinions j and j?to the shaft kof theupper'feed roll K 11,

therefore, just before this returir'movement of the carriage commences,or shortly after the commencement thereof, a 'sl1eet'= be pressedforwardjso that its advancing edge will'be received betweensaid*feed-rolls ll and K, the same will be g'ri' ped by said-feed rollsand fed forward until such advancing edge is passed over thepressure-roller L.

When the polygonal wheel g 'rides up on the as having been fed betweenthe feed-rolls H and K and'over the pressure-roller L and such conditioncontinues until near the end,

of the rearward movement of the carriage, when, by reason of the stopthereon which has been above referred to, the cams M are again operatedto throw the pressure-roller L to operative (elevated) position, andthis lifts also the shaft 71 and therefore the feedrolls H and K and thebrackets in which they are sup orted. The periphery of the pressure-roler now lies in substantially the same horizontal plane as that in whichthe type faces travel, there being only SUfllCiE-Ilt s ace between thesame to permit the use 0 the ink-ribbon and the passage of theimpressionsheet. If, now, the carriage be again moved forward, towardthe position indicated in Fig. 2, the ressu're-roller L being therebyset in operation by suitable mechanism forming no part of the presentinvention (and therefore not shown in the drawings), the

moment the tvpe-form reaches the pressureroller L, the impression-sheetis. gripped between the two, the surface speed of said type-form andthat of said pressure-roller being the same, and is fed forward andsimultaneously imprinted u on, the continued movementtoward the ig. 2position finally resulting in discharging the printed sheet upon asuitable delivery-tray 0.

It will, of course, be readily understood that the distanceto which theforward edge of the sheet is passed by the coaction therewith of thefeed-rolls H and K is determined by the position of the cam G. In orderto vary the distance between the advancing edge of the sheet and thepoint at which the type faces are to be imprinted thereon, it is onlynecessary to change the adjustment of the cam G in the manner abovedescribed. It will also be apparent that instead of giving to theimpression-sheet merely an initial movement and relying upon thecoaction of the type-form and pressure-roller to continue that movementand to ultimately discharge the printed sheet, said feed-rolls H and Kmay continue to feed the sheet throughout its entire length. I deem thearrangement above described preferable, however, since this requires nonice adjustment of the feeding speed of'said feed-rolls and the movementof the type-form. l/Vherc this preferred embodiment of the invention isemployed, although the feed-rolls are brought to rest before theimpression-sheet is gripped between the pressure-roller and thetype-form, said rollers may thereafter,

through the clutch device it, be operated not to positively feed thesheet but by the pul of the shoe; after the same has been gripped bysaid pressure-roller and type-form. This clutch device'hconsists of-twoclutch members, one secured upon the shaft h and the other loose on thatshaft, this latter including the feed-roll H and being ressed toward theclutch member first name by the spring shown at the opposite end of thefeed-roll H. The engaging surfaces of the two clutch members areprovided with ratchet-teeth, such as will-permit forward rotation of thefeed-roll H -independently of the clutch member which is rigidly securedon the shaft h and will enable shaft h to drive the feedroll when rotarymotion is communicated to it.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new therein anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows 1. Sheet-feedingapparatus including the combine-ion of a pair of rolls, apressureroller, means for moving said roller to operative andinoperative positions, means for rotating said rolls while the pressre-roller is in inoperative position to feed a sheet into cooperativerelation to the pressure-roller, and mechanism for throwing such meansout of feeding operation after but a portion of said sheet has beenpassed between said rolls, substantially as set forth.

2. Sheet-feeding apparatus, including a pair of. rolls, a pressureroller, means for rotating said rolls in coaction with a sheet to feedthe latter into cooperative relation to said pressure-roller, a clutchbetween said means and said rolls, mechanism for throwing said means outof feeding operation after but a portion of said sheet has been passedbetween said rolls, and means for moving said pressure-roller bodilyfrom inoperative to operative position, substantially as set forth. 4

3. Sheet-feeding apparatus, including a pair of rolls, means forrotating said rolls in coaction with a sheet, a clutch between saidmeans and said rolls, mechanism for throwing said rolls out of feedingoperation, and means for varying the extent of the rotation of saidrolls before being thrown out of feeding operation by said mechanism,substantially set forth.

4. Sheet-feeding apparatus, including a pair of rolls having verticalmovement, means for rotating said rolls in coaction with a sheet, andmechanism for throwing said rolls to inoperative feeding position, suchmechanism being adjustable, substantially as set forth.

5. Sheet-feeding apparatus, including a pair of rolls, a pressure-rollermounted in a plane parallel thereto, both said rolls and said rollerbeing movable both bodily and upon their axes, means for rotating saidrolls and said roller, and mechanism for rotating said rolls while saidroller is at rest, substantially as set forth.

pair of rolls, a pressure-roller mounted in a plane parallel thereto,both said rollsand said roller being movable both bodily and upon theiraxes, means for rotating said rolls and said roller, and mechanism forrotating said rolls while said roller is at rest and for throwing saidfeed-rolls to inoperative feeding position, substantially as set forth.

7. Sheet-feeding mechanism, including a pair of feed-rolls, a sheavecoacting with a moving part to transmit rotary movement to said rolls ineoaction with a sheet passed between the same, and means for throwingsaid feed-rolls to inoperative feeding position, substantially as setforth.

8. Sheet-feeding mechanism, including, a pair of feedrolls, a sheavecoacting with a moving partto transmit rotary movement to said rolls incoaction with a sheet passed between the same, means for throwing saidfeedrolls to inoperative feeding position, and an adjustment device fordetermining the point in the traverse of said sheetwhen said rolls shallbe so thrown to inoperative feeding position, substantially as setforth.

9. Sheet-feeding apparatus, including a pair of feed-rolls adapted tocoact with a sheet passed'between the same and a'p1'cs sure-roller inproximity to said feed-rolls, an oscillating member adjacent to saidrolls and roller, and connections between the same and said rolls androller, whereby in one direction of its movement said member willtransmit rotary motion to said pressure-roller, and in the oppositedirection rotary motion to said feed-rolls, substantially as set forth.

10. Sheet-feeding apparatus includin a pair offered-rolls adapted tocoact wit a sheet passed bctweenthe same and a ressure-roller inproximity to said feed-r0 s, an oscillating member adjacent to saidrolls and roller, connections between the same and said rolls androller, whereby in one direction of its movement said member willtransmit rotary ,motion to said press1 re-roller, and in the oppositedirection rotary motion to said feed-rolls, and means for throwing saidfeedrolls to inoperative feeding position, said mealps being adjustable,substantially as set fort i 11. Sheet-feeding apparatus, including aciated with said feed-rolls and coaeting withsaid cam for throwing saidsheave out of driving engagement with said moving part, substantially asset forth: v

This specification signed and witnessed this 6th day of January, 1906.

ALBERT B. DICK.

Witnesses W. G. ARNoLD, M. J. BENDER.

